Convert yards of fabric or yarn to meters.
1 yard = 0.9144 m exactly.
Patterns and shops in the United States use yards for fabric and yarn, while many other countries use meters. One yard is exactly 0.9144 meters, so you multiply the yards by 0.9144 to get meters. Three yards of fabric is about 2.74 meters.
Yarn yardage converts the same way, so a ball of 220 yards holds about 201 meters. This helps when you compare yarns that list length in different units, or when you find a pattern from another country that gives the length in meters.
A yard is slightly shorter than a meter, so you need a bit more length in meters than in yards to be safe. Round up when you buy, since a shop will usually cut a little over, and it is easier to have extra than to run short.
Check the fabric width as well as the length. Metric shops often sell fabric that is 140 or 150 centimeters wide, which is wider than the 44 to 45 inch fabric typical in the United States, so you may need less length for the same project.
Handy conversions: 1 yard is 0.914 meters, 2 yards is 1.83 meters, 5 yards is 4.57 meters, and 10 yards is 9.14 meters. A quick estimate is to take off about nine percent from the number of yards. When you buy by the meter, always round the length up so that you do not fall short, and remember that fabric shops may sell by fractions of a meter.